Congress and JDS leaders gave a memorandum to Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj, who had earlier written to the speaker to maintain status quo on House strength.

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STEPHEN DAVID

October 11, 2010

UPDATED: October 11, 2010 15:38 IST

File photo of Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa.

The nataka [drama] in Karnataka where state chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa won a trust vote today morning thanks to the Speaker disqualifying 16 BJP and Independent MLAs took a new turn with the latter knocking at the high court's doors here which has posted the hearing to 3pm today.

Rebel legislators barged their way into the assembly hall despite Bangalore police commissioner Shankar Bidari himself manning the assembly doors along with the marshals. Former sports minister Goolihatti Shekhar, an Independent MLA whose ouster from the Cabinet last month was one of the triggers for the ongoing internal rebellion, displayed his torn shirt in the assembly claiming that he was assaulted by the securitymen as he and his legislator colleagues elbowed their way in. Karnataka speaker KG Bopaiah had requested "civil police assistance to control the situation".

Congress and JDS leaders gave a memorandum to Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj, who had earlier written to the speaker to maintain status quo on House strength. The governor had also sent observers to the assembly and even as the drama continues outside the century old colonial edifice, the Raj Bhavan, former chief minister and JDS leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, who scripted much of the ongoing drama, is hoping the Governor will recommend a central rule.

Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Siddaramaiah claimed he was manhandled by the police as he fought his way into the assembly and added that the police chief Bidari there "was guarding the place with a weapon"; Siddaramaiah also claimed the speaker had flouted all rules. But the speaker said that he as acted as per the rules of the tenth schedule of the Constitution.

Karnataka state BJP unit chief K.S. Eshwarappa, who presented Yeddyurappa with sweets after the voice vote win, has demanded the recall of the Governor accusing the 73-year-old former law minister of acting like a Congress agent...

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